Archive for 2017

Deadline to Submit Electronic Records to OSHA

Dec. 15th, 2017

OSHA’s deadline to submit electronic records is December 31, 2017. Firms with establishments of 250 or more employees and those with 20-249 employees in certain highly hazardous industries are required to use OSHA’s Injury Tracking Application (ITA) to submit information that would be recorded on their Form 300A. OSHA has provided step-by-step ITA Job Aids to help walk employers through using the new tool. The current process for submitting OSHA documentation for Hiring Clients in ISNetworld will remain the same as this requirement does not impact all contractors. However, contractors in ISNetworld can make tracking work-related injuries and illnesses easier by using the SmartLog tool available in the Company Information section of your account. For questions regarding this tool, please contact ISN.

ISN Releases the Latest Edition of its Health and Safety Benchmarking Report Series

Dec. 4th, 2017

ISN has released its latest series of annual reports on Contractor Health & Safety Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). This year’s editions include seven reports organized by country, industry and ISN customer type: Hiring Client, U.S. Oil & Gas, Utilities & Power Generation Hiring Client, U.S. Manufacturing, Mining, Chemical & Pharmaceutical Hiring Client, Canada Hiring Client, Australia & New Zealand Contractor Operator*, U.S. Oil & Gas, Construction & Facilities Management Contractor Performance Benchmarking by Industry Classification & Work Types, U.S. Contractor Performance Benchmarking by Industry Classification & Work Types, Canada These reports are based on 2016 data aggregated from more than 15 billion work hours of contractor activity in the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand. This includes KPIs reported by more than 50,000 contractor companies working for almost 400 Hiring Clients in ISNetworld. “Our customers find the data in this series beneficial in comparing the safety performance of contractors to that of their peers,” said Joseph Eastin, ISN President & Chief Executive Officer. “Based on customer feedback, we made updates to this years’ series by adding executive summaries and analyzing year-over-year performance comparisons by company. Our goal is to continue providing data analysis for our customers so they can assess their operations and make improvements.” The KPIs represented in the U.S. reports include total recordable incident rate (TRIR), days away, restricted or job transfer rate (DART), fatality rate, incident severity (in days) and Experience Modifier. The Canada report includes total recordable frequency (TRF), lost time frequency (LTF), fatality rate and incident severity (in days) and the Australia/New Zealand reports include Total Recordable Incident Frequency Rate (TRIFR), Lost Time Incident Frequency Rate (LTIFR) and fatality rate. To learn more, visit About ISN. Visit the ISN Publications page to request your copy of these reports. *Contractor Operators are large contractors reporting subcontractor information in ISNetworld

Forest Fire Awareness

Nov. 2nd, 2017

2017 is shaping up to be a record breaking fire season. Last month’s wildfires in California damaged or destroyed more than 14,700 homes across several counties. Canada has recorded 4,870 fires so far this year, which have burned over seven million acres. To help aid in fire prevention and help those in need, please find the following information in this article: The top causes of fires. Steps to take if you are on a fire watch or warning. A list of organizations that are assisting with the California fires as well as disasters worldwide, for those that want to help. Top Causes of Fires1 Smoking materials (i.e., cigarettes, cigars, pipes, etc.) are the leading cause of fire deaths in the United States Arson and intentional fires, such as candles in a home General cooking, microwaves, cooking oil and turkey fryers Electrical safety in the home with circuit interrupters Heating, specifically heating fires in the winter Children playing with fire What to Do During Fire Watches or Warnings2 Sign up for local Emergency Notifications/Alerts Have an Evacuation Plan and a designated meeting place to reconnect after the evacuation Be ready to leave at a moment’s notice and follow evacuation orders Make sure there’s at least a 72-hour supply of important medications in your bag Remove deck/patio furniture, cushions and door mats to prevent ember ignitions Remove portable propane tanks from the deck/patio Know how to turn off the gas to the home Place a ladder against the house (for Fire Department use) Have your garden hoses connected (for Fire Department use) Make sure windows, doors and garage doors are closed Make sure windows are closed on vehicles that will remain at the residence while you’re evacuated Ways to Help Fire Victims If you wish to donate to the forest fire victims in California, below is a list of organizations aiding relief efforts. ISN Canada has supported the Canadian Red Cross in providing assistance to those affected by the wildfires, however, there are many organizations providing support. American Red Cross HHFRF California Fire Foundation Other common organizations that accept donations worldwide: Australian Red Cross British Red Cross Canadian Red Cross Direct Relief International Committee of The Red Cross The Salvation Army For up-to-date information on evacuation orders and states of emergency, visit the California Fire website or the Canadian Wildland Fire Information System. 1http://www.nfpa.org/Public-Education/By-topic/Top-causes-of-fire 2http://www.nfpa.org/Public-Education/By-topic/Wildfire

VPP Policy Update

Oct. 30th, 2017

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), in the spirit of continual improvement, has issued instructions strengthening its Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) with regard to the implementation of company incentive programs. The VPP was established as a way for companies to create a working relationship with OSHA and receive recognition if their safety statistics are lower than the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) averages for their industry. Many companies have created programs that promote increased safety awareness and participation throughout their workforce. The latest memorandum from OSHA acts to clarify the requirements of such programs. Incentive programs are those that reward employees for their honesty and feedback with regard to reporting incidents and providing proactive suggestions toward improving the safety culture around their workplace. These programs support company commitment to employee safety. Incentives usually range from t-shirts to company parties and should not single out or discipline employees that report incidents and injuries. Incentive programs that focus on the number of injuries and reports have now been deemed “disincentives” by OSHA as they tend to celebrate lower injury rates over a period of time or for typically meeting lagging safety goals that have been set. These programs have shown to drive down incident reporting, therefore decrease the number of reports for injuries and near misses due to fear of ruining the chances of a reward for themselves or rest of the group. The VPP has provided new instructions to give applicants and current members proper guidelines for incentive programs. These incentive programs will be evaluated and companies will be given feedback to ensure their program does not discourage reporting. By following the instructions in an acceptable incentive program, employees are given the ability to report incidents truthfully to improve the workplace for all employees. This is another step in promoting safety culture for participants in the VPP and anyone considering adding an incentive program to their organization. If you would like more information regarding the Voluntary Protection Program, please visit their website at https://www.osha.gov/dcsp/vpp/index.html.

ISN’s Contractor Management Strategy White Paper Now Available

Oct. 24th, 2017

ISN’s Contractor Management Strategy Survey collected insights from 200+ decision makers at 160+ companies, who manage contractors and subcontractors in ISNetworld. The findings from this survey are designed to provide a contractor management benchmark which helps companies drive continual improvement in their efforts toward a zero-incident workplace. According to the inaugural survey from ISN, the shortage of a skilled and competent workforce was identified as the top challenge by companies in achieving their contractor management objectives in the next 12-18 months. At the same time, 42 percent of the companies surveyed expect their need for outsourcing work to third-party contractors to increase, half of which anticipate double-digit increases. “Internal and external constraints such as competing internal priorities, shortage of qualified workers and an increased reliance on subcontractor relationships continue to put pressure on companies that hire contractors,” said Joseph Eastin, President and Chief Executive Officer of ISN. “It is essential to have a strategic contractor management plan in place that ensures work is being completed in a safe, reliable and sustainable manner.” Improving the safety performance of both employees and contractors was identified as the top priority for driving organization’s contractor management goals. In addition, improving business continuity and operational excellence was also ranked as a key driver for meeting their contactor management objectives. “The survey data confirms what we’ve seen in the industry; leading organizations drive a safety-first culture and maintain a documented strategic plan for their contractor management objectives,” said Dag Yemenu, Senior Vice President of Technical Services at ISN. “By establishing a clear communication strategy, incorporating a risk-ranking process and integrating internal business processes, a sustainable contractor management system is one that enables you to meet your safety and compliance objectives while promoting a culture of transparency, partnership and continuous improvement.” To access the Contractor Management Strategy White Paper and additional ISN Analytics Publications, please visit https://www.isnetworld.com/newsroom/publications.